Scripture readings for this reflection can be found at Friday of the Fifth Week of Easter | USCCB
In
our gospel for today, we continue with John, chapter 15. Central to the
teachings of Jesus is that of love of God and love of one another. Today our Lord is very clear: love one another as I love you. He’s not suggesting
we love each other, but rather he is commanding that we love one
another. “This is my commandment: love one another as I love you!” Our Lord is
not playing around here.
Following
this commandment of love of other people is difficult. We all have different
personalities and attractions. Naturally, there will be those we meet in our
day-to-day lives that we will find it hard to even like, no less to
love. But to love is what we must do towards everyone we meet, whether it’s
those family members that get on our nerves, or those people we meet during the
day that press our buttons. We are to make an effort to love them as God loves
them. We are to remember that God loves EVERYONE, even those people we
don’t like. Whether we like it or not, those people that we may not like are
made in the image of God and God loves them dearly.
Pope St. John Paul II is quoted as saying: “Open your minds and hearts to the beauty of all that God
has made and to His special, personal love for each one of you.” And Archbishop
Fulton Sheen says of love: “Love is not an emotion; it is an act of the will.”
So, as we go throughout our day, let us bring this
love of God to all we meet. Let the love of God be evident in how we treat one
another.
From Arlene B. Muller
ReplyDeleteDefinitely Our LORD'S "new commandment" to love one another as He loves us is a difficult challenge & it's hard to know if we will ever truly get it right! It's hard enough to love out neighbor as ourselves & how do we even know if we are are succeeding in doing this!
In yesterday's GOSPEL we heard that JESUS loves us in the same way that the Father loves Him! We also know that JESUS loves us with the greatest possible love: He laid down His life for us! So that would mean that we should be wiling to lay down our lives not only for people dearest to our lives, like our mothers, fathers, siblings, spouses & dearest friends but for people whom we dislike & even our enemies who harm us! This sounds incredible & close to impossible, & it is only the grace of GOD & GOD loving others THROUGH us that makes it possible.
Fortunately, as the Venerable Archbishop Sheen stated, love is an act of the will & not a feeling, so we don't have to feel guilty for not having "warm fuzzy feelings" toward people who "drive us up a wall" or are cringe worthy, as long as, despite our feelings we will what is best for these people & we do good to them, even sacrificially, if needed, & pray for them. It is only with GOD'S help & His love within us that we can do this, as instruments of His love.